The Magic of Freedom
by livvi695
Summary: Just some short one shots about Anders and Maggie Amell and how they are now free to use magic whenever they want because there awesome Grey Wardens. The stories will be independent so you can read them in any order. Hope you like them, set after killing the mother but every ones alive.
1. Realisation

**Realisation**

I Margret (Maggie) Amell had always a good little mage, I never got in trouble at the Circle, never tried to escape, I always said my prayers like a good little Andrastrian, did all my work set by the senior enchanters and even volunteered to do extra work. And I'm ashamed to admit now that I actually never minded being in the Circle, sure I would have liked to go outside sometimes (that goes without saying), but apart from that I never knew any other way of life than the Circle as I had been brought there when I was very young and had no memory of my life before and therefore had no other way of life to compare it to, to me it was normal and I liked it. I always heard from other mages about what an injustice it was for mages to be taken from their family and be locked away, but to me it seemed logical after all where else were mages to learn how to harness their power and increase it. You always heard about the people who were continually trying to escape and about the few people who actually managed it, but they always got brought back so I never saw the reason to try. Why torture yourself with the knowledge of what it was like to live outside the Circle and then suffer again and again as you get dragged back. No, I was happy with my life, I was at the top of all my classes, had and steady string of flings with other mages and had recently passes my harrowing. (Quickest, cleanest ever they say, not that I'm bragging.)

Then it all changed when my best friend Jowan had to screw it up for me. I still think that to this day that if Jowan hadn't gone and got himself laid then I would still be blissfully unaware of life outside the Circle. But no Jowan had to go 'fall in love' with a Chantary initiate, with hind sight I should have just shagged him myself and none of it would have happened. Anyway you probably know what happens next but if not I'll give you a brief highlight.

Jowan introduces me to his girlfriend (he could have done SO much better) tells me that they are planning to run away together (just like that, it's not as if you have to plan for months to escape the circle, the way they talked about leaving made you think that you could just walk out the door.)But it's OK because Lilly has a plan in which she and Jowan do nothing and where I do EVERTHING! So yeah I get to go find a fire rod to burn down a door (was never going to work) and to do this I had to go talk to the creepy tranquil guy, clear a stock room from spiders and get a stupid permission slip signed.

So then we go to the basement where the blood is stored and Lilly and Jowan are surprised when the second door doesn't just burn down when I wave a stick at it. Lilly promptly gives up in which I agree saying we should go back but then Lilly has a massive change of heart where she urges Jowan not to give up (bi-polar or what.) Eventually the blind idiots spot the door at the other end of the hall and we headed down it having no idea where it led all the while getting attack by suits of armour (whatever I may say about Lilly, I'll admit she's got balls I certainly wouldn't run up to a magical suit of armour in nothing but Chantary robes and throw flimsy punches at it, then again I'm a mage so I get a staff.) So yeah we eventually get to a room with some actual cool stuff in it like this awesome talking statue, Lilly started crapping herself the moment it said it was from Tevinter, such a bore. We then blow our way into the room the blood is stored in and Jowan gives a really creepy speech about how the phial is all that's between him and freedom. Now loads of people have asked me that if mine had been there would I have destroyed mine, and honesty back then I probably wouldn't have, but know I would have smashed everyone in there, it's funny now your attitude can change.

So of course we got caught the moment we left the basement (to tell you the truth I was amazed we didn't get caught sooner) and by this point maybe if we'd begged enough they wouldn't have made us tranquil or sent us to the mage prison, but then Jowan had to go bat shit insane and perform blood magic. After that Lilly and Jowan break up (tragic I know, especially after all the work 'I' put in to get them free) and Jowan runs off and somehow manages to evade every templar between where we were and the door and simply just walk out.

This next part was where it all kicked off for me, I had the Knight-Commander shouting that I was going to be punished and the First Enchanter saying how disappointed he was in me. It was round about there when I was preparing to get on my hands and knees and beg for forgiveness when the Grey Warden I had meet earlier Duncan strolled over and asked me if I wanted to be a Grey Warden. That was a very strange moment for me because after looking at how I felt in relation to the Circle you would think that I would flat out refuse, but I didn't. I stopped and really thought about what I was being offered, the chance to actually use my magic instead of just practicing and the chance to finally taste a different lifestyle without the impending doom of being dragged back to the Circle looming over me. So with the options carefully considered I said yes, I'm pretty sure even Duncan was surprised by my answer.

Now I'm just going to fast forward over the rest because it's really busy and would take too much time to explain but basically; darkspawn, undead army, demon child, ashes of a dead woman, dwarves, deep roads, elves, werewolves, politics, dragons and battles. And that brings us to now, sat at camp on the way back to Vigil's Keep after a shopping spree in the city. It actually amazes me how busy my life had been since I'd left the tower, sometimes it felt that I didn't have time to breath. However I had had time to think about my attitude to the Circle and I realised the fault with it is the fact that it's so permanent, if it was more like a school with holidays to go visit your family and you could leave after your harrowing to go and actually use your magic, because let's face it by that point you've proven you can resist demons so there's no point in keeping you there. I had expressed my idea to Anders and he seemed to think it was a great idea, however that was the problem with only asking the views of other mages.

I sat on a log next to Anders and laughed as we watched Ogren try and light the camp fire, Sigrun and Nate were off hunting (cough-getting off-cough) and Justice was trying (and failing) to pitch his tent.

"Oh sod this you flaming nug-humper" Orgen shouted throwing the two pieces of flint away from him. I laugh so hard as he went off in a mardy and sat on the other side of the camp.

"Oh when will he learn" Anders laughed. "Although we really do need that fire lighting" he said. I made to stand up to grab the pieces of flint of I could light the fire when Anders stopped me. "It's okay I'll do it." He smiled and then simply shot a small fire ball into the pile of fire wood.

"Man I never get tired of that." I must have had a confused look on my face because he elaborated.

"You know using my magic whenever I like and knowing that the Chantary can go and kiss the makers arse if they try and stop me" Anders then burst into uncontrollable fits of laughter.

Now I know I'm probably going to get called an idiot but in the two years I had been out the Circle I had never made the connection that being a grey Warden put me above the Chantary in term of importance and that they no longer had any control over me (hey don't judge me, I've been really busy ending a blight and all that.) I don't really know what happened after that but I grabbed the nearest goblet poured out the water it contained and then whispered a spell and water poured out of my hand into the goblet. By now Anders had stopped laughing and just looked at me strangely, I just smiled back at him and stood up, walked over to justice pulled him away from the pile of sheets that was supposed to be his tent and used and telekinesis spell to put it up for him. I went over to Orgen who was complaining that his beer was warm so I froze it solid (got a tiny bit carried away on that one.) And this carried on for hours, I used magic to do everything for me. I can't even describe the feeling of finally just using magic for anything I wanted it for, although it did tire me out after a while I made sure the that I gave Anders a proper thank you (nudge nudge wink wink) for helping me realise that me and my magic were finally free.


	2. Tournament

When you're an apprentice in the tower there really isn't everything that you're allowed to do which could have been considered fun, the closest thing would probably be when one of the senior enchanters was late for your lesson and you were allowed to wander off for a bit to do your own thing until you were called back in when the enchanter eventually turned up. So yeah, it was pretty boring pretty much all the time. Of course that's only if you stick to only doing what you're allowed.

Now if your careful enough and know where to go, you can find some actual excitement in the tower. Most of it of course is done in secret many because if the Templars got wind of it they would immediately put a stop to it. Now I know what you're thinking, oh there practicing blood magic and secretly sacrificing people to demons or there looking for a way out of the tower so they can escape and then practice blood magic or some other such nonsense. But you'd actually be wrong, now I can't say for certain that there was no blood magic or escape plans going on, but like I said before I actually didn't mind my life in the tower so I never took part in them, if they existed.

But no the majority of the stuff we did in secret didn't even involve magic, most of it was the circles own private dating club where mages could go and have 'fun' with each other, that never interested me that much (although I of course went a few times.) There was also story times (kidish I know, but they were good) where mages who hadn't been caught until they were older would share stories of the outside world to the mages who like me were brought to the circle at a young age and had no memory of the outside world (didn't appeal to me much either.)

The activity which you would be sure I was always involved in was the tournaments, rounds and rounds of mage verse mage action. And not to brag but every tournament I was in I came first or second, just saying.

xXx

Jowan was stood outside the library in the tower trying to explain to one of the younger apprentices that had only arrived a month ago how his lesson schedule worked, it wasn't that complicated but this apprentice, Adam just refused to understand the fact that we didn't have physical education.

"Were not allowed out of the tower so we don't have P.E." Jowan said for what felt like the fifth time.

"But how do we keep fit." Adam asked.

"You've been here a month right?" Adam nodded. "And in that time have you seen a fat mage?"

"No" Adam replied.

"And do you want to know why?" Adam nodded again. "Its because we live in a bloody tower! Day after day for the rest of your life, the majority of your time will be spent walking up and down these Maker forsaken stairs!" Jowan finished breathing heavily.

Adam just stood there staring at Jowan but before he could reply a group of apprentices ran in between them into the library. Jowan grabbed one by the shoulder and pulled him back.

"Finn what's going on?" Jowan asked.

"It's the final of the summer tournament." Finn whispered, looking around for any nearby Templars.

"Really already?"

"Yeah the Templar that guards one of the corridors rooms, Cullen I think his name is, got sick the other day and so the Templar that guards one of the lower practice rooms had to cover him so that practice room is empty."

"Who's in the final?" Jowan asked rather stupidly.

"Who do you think?" Finn replied sarcastically, "Come on its probably already started." Finn took off in the direction of the lower practice room, with Jowan and Adam behind him.

They got into the room just as one of the fighters unleashed a cone of cold, just as the other threw up an arcane shield.

Adam tugged on the side of Jownas robes, trying to get his attention. "Jowan, who are they?"

"That one there," Jowan pointed at a man who had just launched lighting at the other, "is Anders. He's the best healer the circles ever seen, he has private tutoring by Senior Enchanter Wyne herself and is also in all the advanced classes for the other schools of magic. He's rumoured to be taking his harrowing soon, which means he won't be able to come into the apprentice quarters to compete anymore." Adam looked at Anders in awe as he drew a glyph of paralysis which the other mage got trapped in, but not for long.

"What about the other one?" Adam asked as the female mage cast disorient on Anders.

"That one is Maggie Amell, her destruction magic is unmatched she was throwing fireballs before most mages could cast Arcane bolt, but she can still beat any mage just using the spirit and entropy. She's also being also being groomed by First Enchanter Irving to be the next first enchanter. She is not a mage to be messed with."

Adam watched as the two mages continued to throw spells at each other. Many of the mages around him saying that they were taking it slow to being with, before they started taking it up to second and third branch spells.

"Well it's obvious who's going to win." Adam said.

"Really, who do you thinks going to win?" Jowan said, not taking eyes of the fight.

"Well Maggie obviously, if she can cast better destructive spells."

"Power isn't everything Adam." Jowan replied.

xXx

"I think it's time to step it up a bit, don't' you Mags?" Anders chucked as he easily deflected Maggie's Flame Blast. "This is probably my last tournament, I want to go out with a bang."

"If that's what you want." Maggie laughed. Completely bypassing her second and third class of spells and went straight into summoning inferno and directing it right where Anders stood. The wall of fire swirled around Anders until you could no longer see him in the middle. Jowan could feel the heat of the flames from the other side of the room.

"Jowan! Wont he be hurt." Adam said looking around franticly wondering why no one was trying to help.

"Just watch." Jowan said.

The spell started to wind itself down, Maggie panted with the effort of keeping the spell under control. Anders staggered out of the centre of the spell serious burns covering different parts of his skin.

"I gotta say mags… That was impressive." Anders panted, looking like he was about to collapse.

"Why thank you, I hope that was a big enough bang for you." Maggie laughed, still a bit out of breath.

"Um…Not quite." Anders laughed, before lifting his hands and casting Regeneration on himself. Mages watched amazed as the burns over his body started to heal themselves. After the blue glow faded from his body Anders looked just as he did before the inferno, except his burnt robes.

"Ready to go again." Anders said. Maggie didn't even reply and just launched a stone fist at him.

This continued for the better half of an hour, Maggie launching spell after spell at Anders which he just shrugged off, healing his wounds almost as soon as Maggie caused them.

Eventually they both ran out of Mana having used up so much it was recharging too slow for either of them. Maggie being the more impatient of the two ran at Anders and tackled him to the ground and threw some rather pathetic punches at him. This hadn't been the first time a fight had resulted in physical attacks, but it didn't happen often.

Anders managed to flip them over so he was above Maggie and was holding her arms above her head to protect himself.

"You know Mags I think we should end this fight now." He whispered in her ear, causing her body to shudder slightly, in a good way.

"Why, are you giving up?" She smirked.

"No but you are." With that he attacked Maggie's lips with his own in a powerful and passionate kiss. Maggie went so light headed that she didn't even him notice him pull away, stand up and declare himself the winner.

xXx

"You what Commander," Anders said from his position on her bed.

"What Anders?" Commander of the Grey, Maggie Amell replied not looking up from the letter she was writing to Warden HQ.

"Remember our last fight in the tower, before my harrowing…" A smile spread across Maggie's face at the memory. "…We should have a tie break, because I admit I didn't win fairly." He smirked.

Maggie stood up from her desk, the letter she was writing forgotten. "Yes we should." She announced and started towards the door, presumably to the sparring yard.

"Actually Maggie I thought we could have it here." Anders said and tapped bed.

Maggie looked over at him and signed. "I'm going to lose again, aren't I?" she said with a smile walking towards the bed.

"I'm afraid so my dear." Anders laughed as he pulled her onto the bed.


End file.
